Pregnancy – Applications

Research indicates that during pregnancy K2 is particularly important for both mother and child

In many cases, K2 deficiencies can go unnoticed. During pregnancy, women can suffer from calcium deficiency due to the unborn child’s high demand for calcium. Also, K2 deficiency during gestation can be detrimental to the unborn child as skeletal development before birth may influence proper bone formation, setting the tone for future bone health. After birth, infants might suffer from vitamin K deficiency, as the levels of vitamin K in breast milk are typically very low.

K2 deficiency during gestation may be detrimental to the unborn child. This is because skeletal development before birth may set the tone for future bone health. Therefore maintaining an adequate vitamin K2 supply during pregnancy is essential to ensure the expectant mother makes the best use of the calcium available to her and to give her child’s bones the best possible start.

K2 supplementation can improve bone health for expecting mothers and reduce the risk of bonerelated pain. Pregnant women undergo substantial skeletal remodeling in preparation for giving birth, and can also suffer from calcium deficiency due to the unborn child’s high demand for calcium for skeletal formation. In extreme cases, this can result in pregnancy-associated osteoporosis, a condition characterized by severe pain in expectant mothers caused by vertebral fractures. K2 supplementation has been shown to relieve this pain. Vitamin K2 MK-7 is the best choice of vitamin K as it gives the body a much stronger vitamin K boost compared to a similar amount of K1 and targets the bone-producing proteins that integrate calcium into bones and teeth.

Vitamin K2 is poorly transported from a mother to unborn child

However, this situation can be improved through K2 supplementation. In a controlled Japanese study, women given 20 mg of vitamin K2 about a week before they gave birth had more K2 in their blood compared to women who were not given K2. Crucially, K2 levels were also elevated in umbilical cord blood, indicating increased transfer of K2 to the child.

As a result, none of the children born to K2-treated mothers showed signs of vitamin K deficiency at birth, compared to 90% of the children whose mothers were not given vitamin K. Interestingly, levels of vitamin K2 in breast milk on the fifth day after birth were significantly higher in women who were given K2 before they gave birth. So, the direct benefits of K2 supplementation during pregnancy may extend to early infancy through breast milk.

Lactating mothers can increase levels of vitamin K2 in their breast milk by taking K2

Another study showed increased levels of vitamin K in the breast milk of new mothers who took 5 mg/day of vitamin K1. Additionally, vitamin K levels were also elevated in the blood of their breastfed children. Breast-feeding mothers should, therefore, consider taking K2VITAL® to increase the amount of K2 MK-7 delivered to their newborn child. However, it remains unclear whether K2 delivery via breast milk is adequate, so additional supplementation for infants could be considered.

Direct K2 supplementation in newborns using a formula containing K2VITAL® may well be a healthy and effective option for increasing the overall health of very young children.

Scalable capacity for mass-market production demands: Kappa’s current production capacity already exceeds the total projected yearly global vitamin K2 demand through 2020.Industry-leading pricing: Kappa continuously reinvests in R&D and manufacturing processes to drive ingredient price points to levels that support commercial adoption. In 2017, Kappa led the market with a 45% price reduction – marking a significant step on the path to mass-market commercialization of K2.

Kappa developed the K2 Formulation LookBook, including more than 120 ready-to-use product formulations and dosage forms targeted towards all K2 health applications and a wide range of consumer groups.

Kappa’s on-going ExperienceCard Program develops innovative vitamin K2 formulations in collaboration with industry leaders. Each ExperienceCard concept represents a novel product formulation that is specifically designed to solve an existing market problem or to address a health segment or consumer group in a new way. K2VITAL® vitamin K2 MK-7 provides the central ingredient in each of the products. Partners provided synergistic co-ingredients, innovative dosage or manufacturing technology, or other elements that make these forward-looking products possible.